An Easter Away - Muskoka and the Great Lakes

Places Ontario Series.

I always pictured Muskoka to be a paradise of picnic blankets and warm sunshine, and I think it is true if we visited during Summer. We thought that the Canadian Spring season is pretty mild, so we got confident and packed up the car, picnic tents and mat, picnic basket, and adobo on the go for the much looked forward lake-side picnic under the Muskoka sky.

The road ahead.

Our first day of the Easter trip was a glorious road trip of sleeping trees and mundane roads, tranquility and yes, the weather was nice and warm that we hoped to last for the rest of our vacation. Sunroofs unbarred, sunglasses on our faces, radio blasting the long road ahead.

All smiles, even Yogi the bear is dressed for the sunshine!

Her little corner of a joyride, putting on paper the beauty of the outdoors.

There is beauty in loneliness, and the journey to the Great Lakes emphasized it so.

Where we stay.

Fronting Lake Rosseau is Marriot's property of the same name. We booked the Studio Suite with a balcony thinking of sunny side ups and bacon with a coffee at the side for breakfast daily. We surely were disappointed that the balcony at the property remains locked for the season due to melting ice falling through the roofs! Winter surely hasn't loosened its grip yet! Albeit a negative for my books, the overall impression of the suite was great. Huge bed, with a reclining sofa for extra accommodation. Fireplace, kitchen with all the essentials that made our 3-day stay comfortable, ensuite bathroom, and a lovely compliment of bed centerpiece of kissing swans sprinkled with rose petals and balloons of red and white. 

The Castle in the Lakes, Magnifique and proud.

It is not every day that you will see kissing swans on your bed.

That huge balcony fronting Lake Rosseau could have been extra!

The first day of the Hoppy Easter trip.

The road trip to Muskoka is a holiday on its own. The weather did play a great role in making our very first long road trip enjoyable. The best jud si Lord! We did not expect the hotel to prepare so many Easter activities for the kids. Some of the activities were free and those that came with an item that can be brought back home were to be paid for. We mapped out our activities for the full three days and we decided to start with a hike around the Rosseau, granting the weather was nice and the view outside was so inviting.

To the boardwalk closer to the lake.

The hotel is the backdrop worthy of a postcard flying around the globe.

This colossal beach chair is everywhere in Muskoka, I can't help but bought a mini size for a souvenir.

The little walk we had was a lovely start, we then head back to the hotel so Biw can enjoy the activities they planned out for the family staying for the holiday. We play at the arcade, went swimming, hot tub jacuzzi, and some wine, and dine to cap our first night.

One of the paid activities Biw did was mug painting. She painted Cookie and Coco because they were not able to come with us, and the front side of the mug has the hotel name and logo on it.

Whoever thought of this mega Jenga is fatal. I am constantly stressing out whenever it is my turn to pull one block out of the pile as it might fall over my feet when I am standing or on my face when I am sitting. 

I did not care to know what this game is called but this was fun.

I lost count of how many times we hit the ball rolling on the floor, bouncing off the ceiling, and even hitting someone passing by, nope, not that guy at the back.

They got competitive here, guarding their fort, never flinching, and constantly moving.

The most awaited event of the Biw was the inflatable fun zone of bouncy slides, archery, and basketball.

We had a long and fun first day and ended it with the best dinner of steak sandwich, cajun chicken, sausages, and an Easter egg mousse. I had wine at the side and Marlon had a glass of Molson.

Oh, the Easter joy is all around, it even finds its way to our dinner table and straight to our tummies.

The Second day of bunny hunting.

The second day of our family vacations is always a biw day and the hotel did the planning for us. It was a full blast of Easter shenanigans for the kids and the kids at heart. We planned to tour around town but decided to stay so Biw can enjoy the holiday with other kids. The weather turned icy cold and was even snowing so indoor fun was just the right call. The activities that day were bunny hunting, cookie decorating, inflatables, arcade, build a bear, glitter tattoo, and Easter craft. Biw had so much fun and it was nice seeing her enjoying everything. Mama and Papa were just on her tail, taking everything with a smile too!

At first, we thought live and real bunnies were on the loose or in a cage somewhere hidden. We actually were tasked to find and take pictures of 15 paper bunny cutouts. We found all 15 paper bunnies in and out of the property. The hunt in the wilderness was the best as the scenery was breathtaking. The cold and the snow that follows made the surroundings even more surreal.

That could have been a perfect hot chocolate campfire moment right there if we were eager.

If we were at home, we will be making our traditional Easter Cookies so Biw tried this activity so as not to miss it this year.

Build a Rosseau Buddy was one of the activities that Biw enjoyed most. She had tried build-a-bear workshop before but this is different as she can fluff on her own the toy of her choosing with the stuffings. There was a little heart she hugged and kissed with a wish she tucked inside the toy's tummy before closing the seams. She even hand-painted the shirt her buddy would be wearing, she signed the birth certificate and named her new buddy, Pecky.

The cold subsided past daytime so we decided to head out to Port Carling to see the wall culminating the town's history. The wall is not as big as I imagined it to be but the gallery of the poignant passing of time displayed on the wall adds to its beauty. 

The wall of history, people, and story that made Port Carling into what it is today.

The shops around were closed for Black Saturday, but we did come home with pictures to blog about. The serenity lakeside can boast of, Cold but Gold Muskoka. No wonder, Muskoka is a haven of billionaires, lol.

The Lord has Risen, Happy Easter! Our third day in Muskoka.

Easter is without the Easter egg hunting. They say the tradition of finding the eggs symbolizes finding the tomb empty. The kids had a blast looking for eggs all around the property. They were rewarded with a signature Rosseau frisbee and of course, chocolate eggs! Gabby indulged in a few more Easter activities of mini paddle painting and Easter frame decorating before going back home to Toronto. We did a little side-trip to Gravenhurst wharf on our way too to find my holy grail of souvenir must-haves. 

No one is too old for chocolates, why, I did join the hunt! 

No one is stopping her when it comes to arts and crafts. She can sit all day painting and drawing and putting together any trinkets she fancy.

Look at that pose, she enjoyed the pool table a lot!

Putting together another happy Easter memory!

The 3 day Easter trip was mostly spent at the Rosseau but it was all that we need for. Relaxed and enjoyable trip for the family. Before heading back to Toronto, we passed by Gravenhurst for lunch and shopping.

Gravenhurst is a destination on its own, hoping to be back to explore the place more. 

We cannot thank the Lord enough for His boundless blessings and not just on his Ressurection we felt his love for us, it is in every waking day. Our Easter trip reconnects us, we have been away in thoughts burdened by everyday struggle. Biw is growing and she too now finds her own challenges and taking a break from it all was meant for her more than for us.  The Ressurection of the Lord taught us that faith allows us to bounce back stronger than ever, and more importantly, the meaning of the celebration was not lost during our trip, collecting our thoughts, looking into our hearts aims to celebrate the life that the Lord died and live for us. 

*MBGXMuskoka*    *TheMarcosesXOntario*     *2&1/2GypsiesXCanada*

Apr 15-17, 2022